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Small town life-styles : Comments
By Lyn Allison, published 28/9/2006Decentralisation is the only possible long-term solution to the sprawling problems of Sydney and Melbourne.
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From reading this thread I'd venture that few people have lived in the country. Could I say and hopefully without offending anyone, that it is a useful exercise to list what you yourself would require to move to a country or regional town. Not for a short holiday, but for life.
It is easy to say that others should take the leap to the bush when one in living comfortably in a city with employment for oneself and for the children if and when they come along.
Rather than recommend new regional centres, what about looking at why the present regional towns are collapsing? Because in many country towns the WW2 widows are about all that remain. Some towns are propped up only by grey nomads buying fuel and afternoon tea.
To test the mettle of Canberra politicians and bureaucrats, what about locating some federal departments in regional areas? There is NO reason whatsoever why (say) Centrelink, the Health Insurance Commission or others really NEED to be in Canberra. What about the Department of Veterans' Affairs? Its clients in Canberrra are actually serrviced by the NSW office notwisthstanding the fact that its Canberra administration is LARGER than its NSW office which does service clients.
Centralisation suits senior bureaucratic gnomes (State or Federal) and the major political parties and it is a contributing cause to the death of regional towns and cities.